Sutiyoso orders immediate crackdown on pedicabs
Sutiyoso orders immediate crackdown on pedicabs
JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso, who last Thursday announced
he was allowing becak (pedicabs) back on the capital's streets,
urged city authorities yesterday to help eliminate the man-
powered vehicles.
"I hope a crackdown will be held as soon as possible,"
Sutiyoso told reporters, giving no specific dates.
The mechanism to eliminate pedicabs was totally up to the
city's five mayors, said the governor.
Traditionally, crackdowns against pedicabs in the capital
involved personnel from the city's Public Order Agency, the
Jakarta Military Command and the police.
Sutiyoso last Thursday announced that pedicabs would be
temporarily tolerated on the city's streets, but hastily changed
his mind about the three-wheeled vehicles six days later.
His decision to allow pedicabs in the city was met with harsh
criticism, particularly from city councilors.
They said his decision violated the existing 10-year-old City
Ordinance No. 11/1988 which prohibits pedicabs from operating at
anytime, anywhere around the capital.
Some critics have asked Sutiyoso to help pedicab drivers take
their vehicles back to their hometowns.
In 1988 and 1989, hundreds of pedicabs were netted and their
drivers sent back to their hometowns after the enactment of the
city ordinance.
Serious clashes between pedicab drivers and law and order
officers were recorded during the crackdown.
Following Sutiyoso's initial announcement, at least 1,238
pedicabs have entered the capital from towns like Tangerang,
Ciledug, Cilegon and Indramayu, all in West Java.
Speaking with the media yesterday, the governor also insisted
that the city administration could not afford to return the
pedicabs to their respective towns due to an inadequate budget.
"Actually, I want to do something to help them. If they need,
for example, transportation means to carry their becak, (under
normal circumstances) we could have deployed trucks from the City
Sanitation Agency.
"But the current difficult economic situation makes it
impossible," he said.
Sutiyoso's refusal to help the pedicabs drivers was strongly
rejected by city councilors.
Transportation
Head of Commission E for social welfare, Soeparmo, said the
administration should finance the transporting of the vehicles to
the drivers' hometowns or give them transportation facilities.
"They came here based on the governor's announcement and they
have spent much money, so it is not easy just to ask them to go
back," he said.
Soeparmo said the governor should accept responsibility by
giving them just a "small amount of money so they can take their
becak home".
Sharing the idea, the commission's deputy head, Afif Hamka,
said Sutiyoso's refusal to help transport the pedicabs and their
drivers to their hometowns could cause another serious problem
for the capital.
"Something bad could happen here," Afif reminded.
"There are thousands of pedicabs here, meaning that we should
be careful in handling them," he added.
But, he said, it would be wise if the governor provided
transportation facilities for these people to send their pedicabs
back home.
Afif suggested Sutiyoso use funds allocated for emergency
purposes in the city budget.
He also hoped that all personnel involved in the planned
crackdown against pedicabs would be able to carry out their
duties in a friendly manner.
When asked yesterday to comment on Sutiyoso not allowing the
pedicabs to operate here after all and his refusal to send them
back, many pedicab drivers looked blank in confusion.
"What? I just started operating this becak two days ago and
haven't yet collected the amount it cost to bring my vehicle
here," Jono, a pedicab driver at Kota Bambu Subdistrict in West
Jakarta, said.
The father of two children said he had to pay Rp 30,000 to
transport the pedicab here from his hometown of Indramayu, West
Java.
"I came here because I heard the city administration was now
allowing pedicab drivers to operate. Otherwise, I doubt I'd have
had the courage (to come here)," he said.
Jono said he cane to the capital hoping for a better income.
"Here, I'm earning an average of Rp 6,000 per day.
"In my hometown, it would be my lucky day if I could get Rp
2,000 a day," he said.
"Now, I have no idea what to do next if the administration
wants to ban pedicabs again," he said.
"Life is not easy in my hometown. Prices of foodstuffs are
skyrocketing, while I also have to finance my children's
education," Jono said grimly.
One of his colleagues, Rustiba, also criticized Sutiyoso's
latest announcement.
"We are only common people trying to search for a better life.
Life is getting harder and harder in my village," said the father
of three who was formerly a farmer in Indramayu.
According to Jono, security personnel warned him yesterday not
to drive his pedicab through the city's main roads. (ind)